Roller-latch.



G. LABRIE.

ROLLER LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12. 1917.

1 ,253 393 Patented; Jan. 15, 1918.

.0? I m 21 law wil *n 26 6 n" I' I X will;

26 WITNESSES: INVENTOR.

A TTOR NE Y.

GEORGE LABRIE, F MET HUEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

ROLLER-LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 1.5, 13313.

Application filed m 12, 1917. Serial no. 180,211.-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE LABRIE, citizen of Canada, residing at 69Howe street, Methuen, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roller-Latches, ofwhich the following isa specification.

This invention relates to what may be called roller latches. It is to beused in connection with a window or door to hold the window or doorfirmly in place, but in such a manner that it can be displaced by theexercise of necessary amount of force.

It is particularly useful for fire exits as it may be so adjusted thatit will not yield except to a comparatively great pressure such as mightbe exercised by a crowd of people pressing against it. It includes aspring pressed roller which is so mounted that the roller projects agreater or less distance from the edge of the door and its particularfeatures are the fact that the distance of this projection can bereadily adjusted, without removing the mechanism, with a common tool,such as a screw driver, and that the tension can be increased ordecreased in the same manner. It is also so arranged that when thesprings wear out, they can be easily replaced, or a heavier or lighterspring can be easily substituted. It is also preferably made of castmetal.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view partly in section showing thelocation of the parts with reference to a door and its casing. Fig. 2 isan elevation partly in section of the casing with roller latch attached.Fig. 3 is a face View as from the right of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a planview, partly in section, of a modification. Fig. 5 is a plan view partlyin section, showing the door closed.

A is'a door at the edge of which is a groove preferably reinforced by adoor plate 11.

B is a caslng in which is a suitable recess to receive a plate C whichmay be attached by means of screws such as 8.

From the back of casin plate C project legs such as and 21. %hese areshownin Fig. 2 as integral with the casing plate, and in Fig. 4 at asfastened thereto.

Plate C has a long narrow vertical slot 19 which continues into each legat 25 and farther at 24 as a spring recess and still farther as threadedextension 23.

Ateach end of roller carrier F is a screw recess 33 with a screw hole34: through the bottom. Into this recess 33 and through screw hole 34:passes a headed screw 26, the threaded end of which fits into thethreade extension 23 of the slot.

Around each screw such as 26, resting in the leg slot and bearingagainst the leg and the roller carrier, is a compression spring 27.

These springs 27 tend to force the roller carrier and roller outward tothe limit determined by the position of the heads of screws 26.

By turning screws 26, the roller carrier may be forced inward againstsprings27 or allowed to project outward as desired.

By such adjustment, the distance which roller 32 projects into the pathof the edge of door A, may be regulated so that any variations in thedistance between the door and casing may be compensated for.

In addition to permitting the device to be attached and adjusted wherethere is a dif ferent distance between the door and the casing, myconstruction with the adjustable guide screws and springs, together witha groove in the door of sufficient depth, permits me to regulate theamount of force required to open the door. 1

I prefer to use a door plate 11 which slopes at 12 from the casing onthe inside as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the door being cut away to fit, sothat the door will readily close.

The force required to open the door depends upon whether or not theroller 32 projects well out as shown by the full lines in Fig. 5, sothat in attempting to open it,

the edge 13 of the door slot will strike it nearly opposite its axis orat outer edge as shown bv the dotted lines. It is evident that when thisedge strikes near the center or axis, much more force will be requiredto force inward the roller and carrier against the springs than where itbarely touches the outer edge of the roller.

As there is nothing on the door except the door plate, my device isadapted for light weight doors which are to be held lightly from beingpushed open, but is equally adaptable for fire escape doors where it is'desiredthat a great deal of forceshould be used in order to open them.

It is also clear that by removing the screws 26, heavier or lighterremovable springs such as 27, can be put in position according to thepurpose for which the door is intended.

In Fig. 4 is shown a construction wherein the casing plate H is fiat,as, for instance, if it is made of sheet metal, and has fastened to itsback by rivets 51' the U shaped legs 50. The space between the branchesof each leg 50, as shown at 52, forms an extension of easing plate slot53, and the end of each leg 50 is threaded at 54 to receive the end ofscrew 26. The roller carrier F is the same as in the first describedconstruction.

There is nothing on my door or casing which can catch on the clothing asmy roller and carrier are preferably of smooth metal and the screw headswhich are preferably slotted are sunk down out of the way.

I claim:

1. In a roller-latch, a plate having legs at the back and a narrow slotwhich extends into the legs, in combination with a roller v Witnesses:

aeeaeee carrier slidable into and out of the slot and having screwholes, a roller carried thereby, headed screws which pass through thescrew holes and the slots into the legs, and compression springs each ofwhich encircles a screw between a leg and the roller carrier.

2. In-a roller latch, the combination of a roller carrier havingrecesses and screw holes at each end, a roller carried thereby, and aplate having a slot to receive the roller carrier, with legs fixed tothe back of the plate having slots toreceive the roller carrier andthreaded extensions, headed screws which pass through the recesses andscrew holes' in the roller carrier and the slots in the plate and legsinto their threaded extensions, and removable compression springs whichencircle the screws and rest in the leg slots and bear againstthe rollercarrier. In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

. i v I GEORGE X LABRIE.

v mark EMILE SICARD, EDWARD BACHAND.

